The Sydney eScholarship Repositoryhttps://ses.library.usyd.edu.au:443
The Sydney eScholarship digital repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material.Sat, 10 Dec 2016 00:44:02 GMT2016-12-10T00:44:02ZPhase-behaviour of Janus Dumbbell Liquids and Assemblies by Monte Carlo Techniqueshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16027
Title: Phase-behaviour of Janus Dumbbell Liquids and Assemblies by Monte Carlo Techniques
Authors: O'Toole, Patrick Ignatius
Abstract: This thesis summarises a theoretical investigation into the phase behaviour of model ‘Janus’ dumbbell systems composed of two tangent beads, one possessing a hard-core potential and the other a square-well. The relationship between shape and interaction anisotropy is explored via varying the particle properties over two orthogonal pathways. We elucidate the effects of varying interaction and shape anisotropy on the fluid properties of these particles. A parameter, α is developed to control the size ratio between the interaction sites. The model allows particles to be tuned over the full range of diameter ratios. Variegated phase behaviour is observed with varying α. Gas-liquid critical phenomena is observed, in general, for the more isotropic particle descriptions where the particle possesses an attractive tail. As the interaction profile becomes more anisotropic the system properties change drastically. Phase diagrams are computed via collation of gas-liquid phase separation data, calculated via Successive Umbrella Sampling with histogram re-weighting, along with Simulated Annealing simulations in the Canonical ensemble, both of which employ an implementation of the Aggregation-Volume-Bias Monte Carlo intra-box swap move algorithm. Self-assembled phases are observed to perturb gas-liquid critical phenomena, where the critical point becomes metastable to bilayer structures before the Janus limit (α = 1). Bilayer structures in this region are observed to tolerate significant curvature until the two interaction sites are equal in size (α = 1) where only flat lamellar structures are found. Where the attractive site is smaller than the repulsive site, the systems are observed to display up to seven structurally differentiable behaviours controlled by α and the state-point, including: a monomer gas, micelles, platelets, strips, strip networks, sponges, and lamellar structures. Arguments are developed to account for this variation from first principles.Thu, 31 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160272016-03-31T00:00:00ZA family of uniform lattices acting on a Davis complex with a non-discrete set of covolumeshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16026
Title: A family of uniform lattices acting on a Davis complex with a non-discrete set of covolumes
Authors: Sercombe, Damian
Abstract: Let (W,S) be a Coxeter system with Davis complex Σ. The polyhedral automorphism group G of Σ is a locally compact group under the compact-open topology. If G is a discrete group (as characterised by Haglund-Paulin), then the set Vu(G) of uniform lattices in G is discrete. Whether the converse is true remains an open problem. Under certain assumptions on (W,S), we show that Vu(G) is non-discrete and contains rationals (in lowest form) with denominators divisible by arbitrarily large powers of any prime less than a fixed integer. We explicitly construct our lattices as fundamental groups of complexes of groups with universal cover Σ. We conclude with a new proof of an already known analogous result for regular right-angled buildings.Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160262015-10-29T00:00:00ZIN DEFENCE OF CHINESE PIANO MUSIC: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ASSIMILATION, POLITICS AND GLOBALIZATION ON CHINESE PIANO COMPOSITIONS 1949-2012http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16025
Title: IN DEFENCE OF CHINESE PIANO MUSIC: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ASSIMILATION, POLITICS AND GLOBALIZATION ON CHINESE PIANO COMPOSITIONS 1949-2012
Authors: Lim, Jiun Yoong
Abstract: Despite growing global interest in Chinese piano music, the availability of sound recordings online and in stores and the existence of many articles of the subject, Chinese piano music still remains mostly unfamiliar to Westerners. Most comments on Chinese piano music by Western critics have been negative and dismissive. Many Westerners have criticized the Chinese for copying Western products. The goal of my project is to promote contemporary Chinese piano compositions. My project consists of three recitals (recorded on CDs) on which I have performed and demonstrated a wide range of Chinese piano music and this supplementary thesis aiming to prove that Chinese works deserve to be regarded as distinctive products in their own right. I maintain that one should not simply evaluate Chinese piano music according to a set of “universal” (read: “Western”) values. I have also argued that one should explore the concept of assimilation within Chinese culture, and understand how Chinese piano works have appropriated, assimilated and sinicized external Western compositional techniques, making them an organic part of Chinese culture. The importance of the social-cultural and political needs of the Chinese nation and how political situations might have shaped the music in China have to be considered. Finally, one should also examine the impact of globalization and observe how it has affected the development of piano music in China.Fri, 09 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160252016-12-09T00:00:00ZIron supplement use in pregnancy – are the right women taking the right amount?http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16024
Title: Iron supplement use in pregnancy – are the right women taking the right amount?
Authors: Chatterjee, Rahul; Shand, Antonia W.; Nassar, Natasha; Walls, Mariyam; Khambalia, Amina Z.
Abstract: Objectives: To examine the prevalence and determinants of iron supplement use and the amount of iron consumed from iron-containing supplements.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed in antenatal clinics in two tertiary hospitals in Sydney, Australia between January and March 2014.
Results: Of 612 (91% response rate) pregnant women, 589 with complete data were analysed. The overall prevalence of iron-containing supplement use was 88.0%, of which 70.1% was MV only, 7.2% was iron-only and 22.2% was both. Use of iron-containing supplements was associated with increased gestational age, a diagnosis of anaemia or iron deficiency (ID) in the current pregnancy and pre-pregnancy use of an iron-containing supplement. Several risk factors for ID or anaemia such as on-red meat eating and previous miscarriage were not associated with current iron supplement use. About 65% of women diagnosed with ID, and 62.3% of women diagnosed with anaemia were taking an iron-only supplement, with or without a MV. The proportion of women consuming low (<30), preventative (30-99) and treatment (≥100) mg/day doses were 36.8%, 45.4%, and 17.8%, respectively. Only 46.7% of women diagnosed with ID were taking ≥100 mg/day iron from supplements, while 23.3% were taking <30 mg/day.
Conclusion: Women are consuming varying doses of iron and some high-risk women are taking inadequate doses of iron to prevent or treat ID or iron deficiency anaemia. Healthcare professionals are best positioned to advise women on iron supplement use in pregnancy and should educate women individually about the type and dose of supplement best suited to their needs.Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160242016-01-01T00:00:00ZEsophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal fistula in Western Australia: prevelence and trendshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16023
Title: Esophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal fistula in Western Australia: prevelence and trends
Authors: Leoncini, Emanuele; Bower, Carol; Nassar, Natasha
Abstract: Objectives
A recent international study reported a higher prevalence of esophageal atresia with or without tracheo-esophageal fistula (EA±TEF) in Western Australia (WA). The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and trends of EA and/or TEF in WA; determine the proportion of cases with associated anomalies; and explore the impact of time of diagnosis.
Methods
The study population comprised all infants born in WA, 1980-2009 and registered with EA and/or TEF on the WA Register of Developmental Anomalies (WARDA).
Results
EA±TEF and TEF alone affect, on average, 1 in every 2,927 births in WA, with a total prevalence of 3.00 and 0.42 per 10,000 births, respectively. The prevalence of EA±TEF increased by 2.0% per annum, with only cases with associated anomalies (64% of cases) demonstrating an increase. TEF rates were stable. Among EA±TEF infants, the proportion of live births, stillbirths and elective terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (TOPFA) was 79%, 6% and 15%, respectively; while the majority (94%) of TEF only cases were live births. In 2000-2009 there was 30% fall in EA±TEF live births with 61 (58%) cases diagnosed in first week of life, 10 (9%) prenatally and 34 (32%) at postmortem only.
Conclusions
A higher prevalence of EA±TEF in WA was observed with increase over time attributable to increase with associated anomalies. Consistent reporting, availability of prenatal diagnosis and ascertainment of cases following TOPFA or postmortem examinations can significantly affect prevalence of EA and/or TEF.Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160232015-01-01T00:00:00ZPregnancy outcomes for women with rare autoimmune diseaseshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16022
Title: Pregnancy outcomes for women with rare autoimmune diseases
Authors: Chen, Jian Sheng; Roberts, Christine L.; Simpson, Judy M.; March, Lyn M.
Abstract: Objective: To examine pregnancy outcomes and pregnancy-related health service utilisation among women with rare autoimmune diseases.
Methods: This population-based cohort study of an Australian obstetric population (New South Wales 2001-2011) used birth records linked to hospital records for identification of rare autoimmune diseases including systemic vasculitis, vasculitis limited to skin, systemic sclerosis, dermatopolymyositis and other systemic involvement of connective tissue. We excluded births to women with systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis and births >6 months before the first documented diagnosis of the rare autoimmune disease. Modified Poisson regression was used to compare study outcomes between women with autoimmune diseases and the general obstetric population.
Results: There were 991,701 births including 409 (0.04%) births to 293 women with rare autoimmune diseases. Of the 409 pregnancies, 202 (49%) delivered by cesarean delivery and 72 (18%) were preterm; these rates were significantly higher than those in the general obstetric population (28% and 7% respectively). Compared to the general population, women with autoimmune diseases had higher rates of hypertensive disorders, antepartum hemorrhage and severe maternal morbidity, and required longer hospitalization at delivery and more hospital admissions and tertiary obstetric care. Compared to other infants, those whose mothers had a rare autoimmune disease were at increased risk of admission to neonatal intensive care unit, severe neonatal morbidity and perinatal death.
Conclusions: Women with rare autoimmune diseases were at increased risk of having both maternal complications and adverse neonatal outcomes; their pregnancies should be closely monitored.Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160222015-01-01T00:00:00ZThermal Pleasure and Alliesthesia in the Built Environmenthttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16021
Title: Thermal Pleasure and Alliesthesia in the Built Environment
Authors: Parkinson, Thomas Campbell
Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to propose the physiological concept of alliesthesia as a suitable framework for understanding thermal environmental perception under dynamic conditions. Paper 1 outlines the theoretical basis of the alliesthesia hypothesis, and papers 2-4 lend support through the presentation of empirical evidence from a series of human-subject laboratory tests.
The principal conclusion is that strong subjective discomfort is not a necessary precondition for thermal pleasure. Alliesthesia remained viable even within the physiological thermoneutral zone, although it was less pronounced and more ambiguous in those moderate scenarios. Positive hedonic tones were elicited during innocuous exposures at the margins of the thermal comfort zone by applying moderate local skin temperature changes that were contrapuntal to mean skin temperature. This phenomenon was termed ‘spatial alliesthesia.’
The hedonic tone attached to thermal environmental stimuli exhibited pronounced between-subject variability. The most useful variable for distinguishing the tone and magnitude of thermal pleasure response to localised thermal stimuli was the intensity of the subjects’ displeasure in the preconditioning environment. The magnitude of change in local skin temperature also had a significant effect on perceived pleasantness of localised thermal stimuli. These findings suggest it may be possible to develop a model of spatial alliesthesial response to stimuli.
The findings emanating from this thesis could start the discussion on how it could be leveraged in the provision of thermal comfort in nonsteady-state environments. It may be possible to increase occupant satisfaction whilst simultaneously reducing energy consumption through the correct implementation of targeted thermal stimulation delivered locally by personal environmental control (PEC) systems.Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160212016-01-01T00:00:00ZRecolonizing Citizenship: Australia and the Ideal of Empire, 1867-1911http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16020
Title: Recolonizing Citizenship: Australia and the Ideal of Empire, 1867-1911
Authors: Kennedy, William Matthew
Abstract: This thesis explores how an idea of Britain’s Empire as a global white republic grew up amongst many Australian colonists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, what political identities that ideal entailed for both themselves as British settlers, and those regarded as the colonial ‘other,’ and to what extent this ideal of Empire affected their actions in and behaviours towards the imperial world. The three chapters in the first section explore the conceptual foundations—sovereignty, property, and liberty—of the Australian vision of the British Empire as a metaphorical imperial republic. It first examines the role of the sovereign, Queen Victoria, in constituting it. It then studies Australian advocacy of certain kinds of imperial public property, specifically cable communications that many thought had the power to develop the political cohesion of empire. And third, it explores Australian colonial visions of the idea of Greater Britain, and how these visions underpinned the legal construction of rights and liberties in Australia and in Australia’s vision of their British empire. The second section explores how many Australian settler colonists and their political, intellectual, and moral leaders perceived certain obligations and privileges that shaped their behavior towards the wider world, Britain’s empire, and their own settler democracy. It turns to the examination of Australian colonial philanthropy towards British India, how Australian society justified, prepared for, and conducted armed conflict on the empire’s frontiers, and how such experiences, coupled with Australia’s ideal of empire, shaped the establishment and administration of Australia’s very own subsidiary to the British imperial project in the Pacific Islands. In using a wide assortment of sources and methods, the argument contributes towards bringing together key areas of imperial and Australian historiographies, emphasizing the connections, common processes, and intercolonial flows that animated and made possible Australia’s ideal of Empire.Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160202015-11-12T00:00:00ZThe Book of Hebrews in Toraja Context: Towards a Three-culture Hermeneutichttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16019
Title: The Book of Hebrews in Toraja Context: Towards a Three-culture Hermeneutic
Authors: Buchanan, Andrew James
Abstract: The growth of Protestant mission in the nineteenth century raised questions about the role of culture in appropriating the Christian gospel, questions that remain to this day. As the Bible was translated, and as congregations formalised their understanding of the faith, the hermeneutical problem of the gap between biblical and modern cultures expanded to include a third culture, that of the non-Western local church. Be- tween translation and theology lies the task of interpreting the Bible, where the same issues apply. This project seeks to provide an account of the Bible as a hermeneutical object that provides both for a constant identity, namely the gospel of God’s saving action in Christ, and for its varied appropriation in local contexts. Since the project is non-foundationalist, this is developed not in the abstract, but in conversation with a particular Protestant Christian tradition, as expressed in Kevin Vanhoozer’s theo- dramatic account of Scripture, and a particular traditional culture, that of the Toraja in the highlands of South Sulawesi, whose local Protestant church was begun by a Dutch mission just over a hundred years ago. Contextual interpretation has received little attention until recently because of the modernist assumption that exegesis is objective, with application a further step of appropriation. The obvious problem with this is that the issues of greatest priority — remembering that the cognitive capacity of any culture is nite—are not necessarily the same between di erent contexts. More subtly, di erent styles of cognition a ect how the Bible is understood, and di erent values a ect how it is lived out. Exegesis that makes sense of a passage for the Western reader does not necessarily work in another context. The project broadly follows a pattern of observation and analysis in Parts I-II, followed by theory (Part III) and application (Part IV). Observation and analysis concerns both culture and the Bible. For culture, the goal is to understand relevant differences between the West and Toraja. The key distinction that develops is between sincerity and ritual cultures or orientations. This is connected with orality, individualism and re- lationalism, honour-shame, differences in cognition between North Americans and East Asians, and ritual theory. It is given historical and phenomenological depth in Charles Taylor’s account of secularisation. The differences raised by these frameworks are illustrated from anthropological research in Toraja and similar areas. The significance of these differences for Westerners bringing the gospel in a genuinely local way to an oral ritual culture is analysed through a detailed examination of A. Kruyt’s reflections on ministry in Poso (just north of Toraja in Central Sulawesi). The key points that emerge for our purposes are summarised in the concept of the Protestant Semiotic ideology, which connected meaning and agency for Kruyt in a way that obscured the gospel for the Poso. Part III provides an alternative account of the Bible to that which emerges from the Protestant Semiotic ideology. We adapt a Christocentric pragmatic realist account of theological language to our purposes, including giving an account of non-discursive theological representations. A dialogue between Hans-Georg Gadamer and Kevin Vanhoozer’s theo-dramatic account of the Bible provides an account of the Bible in a ritual culture as mythos and ethos. This provides a stable identity for the Bible in the mythos, and appropriate exibility of use with respect to the ethos. Part IV applies and operationalises this account with respect to the letter to the Hebrews. The relating of mythos and ethos in the text is operationalised through an appropriation of thick description. This is applied using local Toraja leadership structures as local metaphors for Christ’s divine sonship and high priesthood, and local honour-shame and ecological harmony ethical systems drawn from Toraja rituals. Having suggested these as appropriate prejudgments for understanding Hebrews within a Toraja context, an interpretation of the letter is offered. This points the way to what a genuinely local appropriation of the letter might look like. This project therefore establishes the possibility of local interpretation by tracing a path towards a plausible example. The missiological importance of doing so is demonstrated, and an alternative to the Protestant Semiotic ideology is offered which preserves a realist understanding of theological truth while allowing for genuine contextual appropriation. It turns out that Hebrews witnesses to Jesus the Community Founder, who provides for the community of those who join with him, and whose sacrifice promises a harmony encompassing God, the community, and the world to come.Tue, 06 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160192016-12-06T00:00:00ZThermal Inertia In Residential Buildings For Demand Responsehttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16018
Title: Thermal Inertia In Residential Buildings For Demand Response
Authors: Zhao, Zhiheng
Abstract: A smart home energy management system has been used to reshape the electricity demand of the residential buildings widely. It normally requires understanding the capability of residential buildings’ thermal mass which revisits to the temperature flatirons and providing enough energy buffers.
In this project, phase change material (PCM) was used as the virtual thermal energy storage. Basically, two parts were included: thermal modelling of residential building with PCM layer. Secondly thermal behaviour of models under different conditions (heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, fenestration, solar radiation) is discussed. Some numerical methods for thermal modelling with EnergyPlus are also presented. A conduction finite difference algorithm in EnergyPlus are applied to calculate heat transfer between ambient and zone. The results indicate that PCM layers shift and decreased the indoor temperature during peak period. Also, solar radiation and fenestration can influence its performance.
A model that is easily scalable in one thermal zone and convex as a function of the control inputs is derived based on energy balance equations. The indoor temperatures are treated as control inputs together with the cooling energy exchange with the virtual thermal storage. This simplifies the enforcement of comfort, which can be imposed through appropriate constraints on the control inputs. A convex constrained optimization program was formulated to address the optimal energy management, in order to minimize the electricity cost caused by Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning unit.Tue, 28 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160182016-06-28T00:00:00ZEliminating Choice Overload Effects: The Roles of Self-Threat, Power, and Hapticshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16016
Title: Eliminating Choice Overload Effects: The Roles of Self-Threat, Power, and Haptics
Authors: Thai, Thanh Nguyen
Abstract: Consumers often desire to have more choices. However, being exposed to an overabundance of options may cause them to respond negatively or make poor decisions. Building on the extant literature, this thesis proposes that choice overload effects are driven by the shift between focuses on the desirability (i.e., attractiveness) and feasibility (i.e., practicality) of the choice outcome. To qualify this proposed underlying mechanism, this thesis investigates conditions under which choice overload effects can be attenuated. This thesis discovers the moderating influences of self-threat, power, and haptics because consumers commonly encounter such conditions in their everyday lives. The main contribution of this thesis is the establishment that choice overload effects are mitigated when consumers feel self-threatened, legitimately powerful, illegitimately powerless, or when they touch or imagine touching products in the assortment.Mon, 01 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160162016-08-01T00:00:00ZHeatwaves and the older Australia population: A mixed methods study.http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16015
Title: Heatwaves and the older Australia population: A mixed methods study.
Authors: Wilson, Leigh Ann
Abstract: Introduction
In Australia heatwaves are increasing in duration, frequency and intensity. This phenomenon parallels an ageing population. The aged are at risk of increased mortality and morbidity in very hot weather, however risk perception studies suggest older people deny they at risk. This research investigated the relationship between heat-related mortality and morbidity in NSW, Australia and the factors that place older people at risk of heat-related illness.
Method
This research consists of two literature reviews and three discrete studies using both qualitative and quantitative methods in a rural population in NSW Australia.
Results
Review of the Australian literature highlighted the differences in methods used, heatwave definitions and populations studied in Australian heat-related research. There was a relationship between heat-related mortality and morbidity on days classified as either severe (> 95th percentile of expected temperature) or extreme (> 99th percentile). Direct and indirect effects of heatwaves contributed to deaths and increased hospitalisations on both severe and extreme days.
Less than half of the aged care facilities(ACFs) included in our sample had a heatwave response plan. Only one third of ACFs in NSW were fully air-conditioned, 65% had partial or no air-conditioning. Few ACF staff had participated in staff in-service training on caring for older people in extreme conditions.
Older rural residents with a self-perceived sense of ‘wellness’ do not consider themselves at risk in hot weather, even if they have multiple co-morbidities, or are aged; factors that independently place them at increased risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality.
Conclusions
This research found that high daily temperatures have both direct and indirect effects on the health of the adult population. Those aged >75 years are most affected however people with chronic conditions and/or circulatory disorders are vulnerable to heat-related morbidity and mortality at any age. There was a general complacency about, and low perception of, heat-related health risk in the Australian population and a low level of preparedness for extreme heat events in the aged care sector, both in the knowledge of how to care for the vulnerable aged in very hot weather and in organisational planning for periods of extreme heat.Tue, 07 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160152016-06-07T00:00:00ZBroadband Radio Polarimetry as a Probe of Magnetised Plasma Towards Powerful Radio Sourceshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16014
Title: Broadband Radio Polarimetry as a Probe of Magnetised Plasma Towards Powerful Radio Sources
Authors: Anderson, Craig Stuart
Abstract: This thesis considers whether “Faraday complexity” — information imprinted as a frequency-dependent signal on linearly polarised radiation by Faraday rotation as it propagates through magnetised cosmic plasmas — can be exploited as an effective probe of magneto-ionised structure in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), radio galaxies, and intervening material. A blind search for Faraday complexity amongst 563 radio sources over 1.3–2 GHz results in a signal-to-noise-limited detection rate of 12%. The Faraday-complex sources are found to preferentially lie behind magnetised, turbulent interfaces between neutral and ionised gas in the Galactic interstellar medium. A targeted survey of 36 objects over 1.3–10 GHz reveals striking Faraday complexity in all of the sample sources. The characteristics of the radio emission, including the spectral index of the radio emission and its linear extent, temporal variation in polarisation, and the Faraday-thickness of emission components, suggests that Faraday complexity arises in the AGNs themselves at these frequencies. The data supply strong constraints on the global magnetised structure of AGN and their jets. Observations of the nearby radio galaxy Fornax A over 1.3–3.1 GHz reveal complex frequency-dependent polarisation structure. Filaments of strong depolarisation are revealed to be real physical structures, likely caused by Kelvin-Helmholtz and/or Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities at the lobe / intergalactic medium interface. Faraday complexity also exists away from the depolarised filaments in the body of the lobe, and I argue that this must be caused by thermal plasma in the lobe that is well-separated from the synchrotron-emitting plasma. I conclude that broadband observations of Faraday complexity do indeed provide a singular probe of magnetised plasmas in diverse cosmic environments.Thu, 23 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160142016-06-23T00:00:00ZAcute medical services for the residential aged care population: measuring preferences for the emergency department and alternativeshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16013
Title: Acute medical services for the residential aged care population: measuring preferences for the emergency department and alternatives
Authors: Arendts, Glenn
Abstract: Background
Demand for emergency department (ED) care is escalating. One response to this is to promote alternatives to ED for targeted patient groups. Older people living in residential aged care facilities (RACF) may be one group for which alternatives are justified and many services, usually “outreach” programs to provide acute care within RACF, are in place.
However, little analysis has been done to determine how these alternatives should ideally be configured to maximise their “market share”. For this, an evaluation of the preferences of people living in RACF (and those that care for them) for how and where they access acute care is imperative, as they will ultimately choose whether to use ED or not.
A discrete choice experiment (DCE) is a means by which these preferences can be quantified, and so incorporated into service design. In a DCE, respondents choose between alternative services that are defined by a set of attributes.
Objectives
i. describe utilisation of ED by the RACF population;
ii. identify components of alternate services through qualitative and quantitative evaluations;
iii. use results from i. and ii. to design and conduct a DCE to test alternatives versus ED care
Methods
A DCE was designed using data from 4680 RACF to ED transfers (chapter 3); systematic reviews of the quantitative (chapter 4) and qualitative (chapter 5) literature for factors that influence transfer; and qualitative interviews with RACF residents, their family and staff (chapter 6). After piloting, 149 residents, 137 relatives and 128 staff in three Australian states completed the DCE.
Results
Each modelled attribute significantly influenced choice for accessing acute care. Independent of these, there was strong overall preference for ED care (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.57-1.92).
Conclusions
Preference for ED is independent of quality of care measures such as waiting time and clinical outcomes. Alternative services may not significantly reduce ED attendance even if they are of high quality.Mon, 08 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160132016-08-08T00:00:00ZMaking a life out of the Worship of Death: a psychodynamic and phenomenological ethnography of Santa Muerte in the State of Mexicohttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16012
Title: Making a life out of the Worship of Death: a psychodynamic and phenomenological ethnography of Santa Muerte in the State of Mexico
Authors: Risteska, Wendy
Abstract: This thesis is an ethnographic study of the Mexican cult of Santa Muerte employing Jungian and psychoanalytic frameworks of anthropological understanding. I use the theory of ‘cultural complexes’ (Kimbles and Singer) in order to facilitate an understanding of Santa Muerte with a focus on the psycho-historical dimension of the subjective experiences of her devotees. Although I am not trained as a psychotherapist and my research took place way outside of the regular context of psychoanalytic cum therapeutic engagement, my ethnographic involvement with specific individuals and detailed documentation of their life-histories, interpreted through Jungian thought and psychoanalysis, opens up a view on the inter-subjective and unconscious (at once personal and cultural-transpersonal) dimensions of the contemporary mega-urban life-worlds of the State of Mexico.
I argue that Santa Muerte addresses the psychic tension between Christian polarisation – between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ – and Mesoamerican ouroboric dualism. Our Lady of Guadalupe has lost her stronghold as the prominent mother image in the life-worlds of these devotees who often find themselves in volatile existential situations. As such, the socio-spiritual economy of the relationship between devotee and Santa Muerte reflects the nuclear archetype, thereby suggesting a need for maternal security.
Furthermore, I interpret Santa Muerte as a personification of the collective Mexican Shadow which mediates the Great Mother archetype, thereby pointing to a transitional period in the Mexican collective unconsciousness. She is a cultural expression of the Black Madonna compensating for the Virgin’s ‘sublime and pure’ Christian qualities – an elevated morality apparently too at odds with the oppressive inter-subjectivities of Mexican sociality. As such, Santa Muerte can be used as a conceptual tool through which to evaluate wider socio-political constructs, and to foreground the increasing salience of the Mexican death drive.
Santa Muerte, Mexico, death drive, psychoanalytic anthropology, cultural complex, Black MadonnaMon, 01 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160122016-02-01T00:00:00ZTailoring Redox Activity in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) to Unlock Emergent Electronic Behaviourshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16011
Title: Tailoring Redox Activity in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) to Unlock Emergent Electronic Behaviours
Authors: Leong, Chanel Francis
Abstract: This thesis reports an investigation into redox-active metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) from design principles through to structural, electrochemical, and spectroscopic insights into their unique electronic behaviours. The interactions between electroactive ligand components, such as through-space ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (CT) and π-π interactions, were explored and exploited as a platform for conductive and chemi-responsive materials. Additionally, the use of both de novo and post-synthetic modification design strategies were explored to examine the modularity of MOFs. The redox and spectroscopic properties of these materials were probed using a range of techniques including single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), UV-vis-NIR and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, conductivity, in addition to vis-NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) to elucidate structure—property relationships. This work demonstrates the enormous potential of redox-active MOFs as multifunctional materials based on their tunable properties as a function of redox state. As such, the fundamental investigations presented here pave the way towards a more targeted approach to tunable electroactive solid state materials.Mon, 29 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160112016-08-29T00:00:00ZScale-Up of the Spray-Drying Process for Bioactive Fruit Extractshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16010
Title: Scale-Up of the Spray-Drying Process for Bioactive Fruit Extracts
Authors: Edrisi Sormoli, Mona
Abstract: Spray drying is a rapid drying technique used in the food industries to convert heat-sensitive materials into powders. However, spray drying sugar-rich materials, such as fruit juices and extracts, is very challenging due to the stickiness of these products. Moreover, scaling up the spray-drying process cannot be performed by using simple dimensional analysis due to the complexity of the process. In this study, first the best operating conditions for spray drying orange-peel extracts have been determined. Also the best method to overcome the stickiness of the powders and enhance the process yield has been determined. Then the process has been scaled up from a small-scale spray dryer to a pilot-scale spray dryer. Two methods have been used to predict the key results from spray drying after scale up; a mass and energy balance approach and a plug-flow model approach. Based on the results found in this study, it has been suggested that the plug-flow model is a useful method in the scale-up process as a rapid estimation method for predicting the outlet gas temperature, the absolute humidity and the final moisture content with acceptable accuracy, in order to keep the quality of the products within the required range. Finally, a new spray dryer was designed and built in this study, based on the previous findings in the drying technology group and available reports in the literature, in the workshops of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney. The new design has many advantages compared with conventional designs such as different plenum chamber that contributes to decreasing the wall deposition. The new spray dryer has a different geometry at its inlet that causes different and more complicated air flow patterns that may affect the drying rate of the droplets, significantly. Spray drying orange-peel extracts was successfully scaled up to this new design, too.Tue, 06 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160102016-12-06T00:00:00ZThe Eύηθέστεροι Myth: the Wisdom of Noble Simplicityhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16009
Title: The Eύηθέστεροι Myth: the Wisdom of Noble Simplicity
Authors: Coulson, Lee Maxwell James
Abstract: Εὐήθεια is a problematic term in Classical Greece, and indeed remains so. Etymologically understood, εὐήθεια is a compound of εὖ+ἦθος, meaning good disposition or character. Yet, in ancient Greece the term habitually connotes foolish naïveté and simplemindedness. I hypothesise that Plato resuscitates εὐήθεια to vindicate Thucydides’ construal of the term as ancient noble simplicity, and advances its positive semantic and philosophical value to entail the truly good and fair disposition of character and mind. There is little scholarship concerning εὐήθεια’s use in Ancient Greece. This thesis hopes to compensate in part for that lack, in particular the instances and implications of εὐήθεια in Plato. I endeavour to present a coherent defence of my argument that Plato regenerates authentic εὐήθεια to have a potent ontological and epistemic function in his philosophy’s aim to foster the purification, simplification and unification of the embodied soul in order to propagate divine Good and Reason.Tue, 06 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160092016-12-06T00:00:00ZInterferometric observations to analyze circumstellar environments and planetary formationhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16008
Title: Interferometric observations to analyze circumstellar environments and planetary formation
Authors: Schworer, Guillaume
Abstract: Protoplanetary disks have a rich structure, with different physics playing a role in different regions of the disk. They are under constant evolution, due to a combination of various physical and chemical processes, e.g., accretion, photo-evaporation, gas-dust interactions, grain growth, and the interaction with protoplanets.
The dynamic ranges involved span orders of magnitudes on spatial scales, orbital times, temperatures, and dust- or gas-densities. The extreme dynamic ranges involved in the structure and composition of these objects mean that very different observational techniques have to be combined together to probe their various regions. This work makes use of new interferometric and spectroscopic measurements in the infrared, together with published mid-infrared images and spectral energy distribution fluxes from UV to mm-wavelength, to instruct a new comprehension of the well-known IRS48 object, and uncover part of the delicate balance of physical processes at stake.
This PhD reports the first direct imaging of the full extents of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and very small grains ring in a young circumstellar disk, presents a revised model for the IRS48 object to explain the rich and complex dust- and gas-environment observed from near-infrared to centimeter wavelengths. Also, the spectral type of the spectroscopic binary MWC361 is determined. This will lead to a precise characterization of the stellar parameters of this binary, opening a new window on the studying of the disappearance of the circumsecondary disk of the binary, while the circumprimary disk is still present.
The leitmotif throughout this thesis is the understanding of the last moments of circumstellar disks, and the search for the processes which dissipate them. This particular step of the disk-evolution is one the most mysterious to date, yet it sets critical constraints on the by-product of circumstellar disks, exoplanets.
Description: Thesis performed jointly (in the frame of a “cotutelle”) at the University of Sydney, in the Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SifA), under the supervision of Professor Peter Tuthill and at Observatoire de Paris, in the Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA), under the supervision of Astronome Vincent Coudé DU Foresto. This led to the granting of the “joint PhD in Astrophysics” degree from both universities.Tue, 18 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160082016-10-18T00:00:00ZNovel Preprocessing Approaches for Omics Data Types and Their Performance Evaluationhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16007
Title: Novel Preprocessing Approaches for Omics Data Types and Their Performance Evaluation
Authors: Strbenac, Dario
Abstract: A diverse range of high-dimensional datasets has recently become available to help elucidate the functioning of biological systems and defects within those systems leading to disease. All of these new technologies come with the challenges of determining how the raw data should be efficiently processed or normalised and, subsequently, how can the data best be summarised for more complex downstream analysis. There are many approaches to summarising and normalising omics data, with new methods frequently being developed. To date, there has not been a comprehensive evaluation of existing methods for many omics data types. This thesis focusses on systematically evaluating existing methods for three different types of omics data and, having identified limitations in the current methods, also proposes new approaches to improve their quality.
Firstly, CAGE-seq data are considered. A two-stage method based on a novel region-finding algorithm followed by a classifier that integrates sequence patterns surrounding the identified regions is shown to possess superior performance to two existing methods. Similarly, a novel data summarisation approach to gene expression data, which integrates changes in location and scale into a unified metric, demonstrates benefits in two-class classification problems. The error rates are found to be competitive with existing methods, and the feature selection has higher stability and increased biological relevance. Finally, in the proteomics setting, there are many choices for how to summarise peptides to proteins, as well as issues relating to batch effects and whether internal controls are necessary. By developing a broad variety of performance metrics, and an accompanying web-based framework, novel recommendations about peptide to protein summaries and batch correction algorithms are made, and a surprising result regarding the necessity of internal standards is revealed.Fri, 08 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160072016-04-08T00:00:00ZThe Language in Classrooms Program : an evaluation of a whole-school intervention for adolescents with language impairmenthttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16006
Title: The Language in Classrooms Program : an evaluation of a whole-school intervention for adolescents with language impairment
Authors: Starling, Julia M.Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160062012-01-01T00:00:00ZThe design and construction of the digital computers snocom, nimbus and arcturushttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16005
Title: The design and construction of the digital computers snocom, nimbus and arcturus
Authors: Wong, D. G.Sat, 01 Jan 1966 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160051966-01-01T00:00:00ZTeachers’ perspectives: what support systems are needed to ensure effective implementation of SEL by classroom teachers?http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16004
Title: Teachers’ perspectives: what support systems are needed to ensure effective implementation of SEL by classroom teachers?
Authors: Pennington, Rose Elizabeth
Abstract: The traditional role of schools as solely responsible for the academic achievement of its students
has been altered in recent times, with an increased focus on addressing their social and emotional
needs, so that children may have the resilience to manage the challenges they face. Research
indicates that this aspect of a teacher’s role is assisted through the use of social-emotional
programming and practices.
Activity Theory is a descriptive framework that considers an entire activity system (in this case, a
school environment) in order to explain how a range of factors work together to impact an activity
like the provision of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) (Engestrom, 2000). This case study
examined the perceptions of three teachers from one primary school utilising Activity Theory
(Engestrom, 2000) to first identify and describe the components of the activity system (the activity
system being the school in question). The purpose of this case study was to gain insight into
teachers’ perceptions of how SEL is addressed at a primary school and in turn provide understanding
on SEL promotion and directions to take for success.
There were a few key tensions that inhibited the effective implementation of SEL in the school. It
seems that its perceived importance is low for some of the staff, which may be attributed to a lack
of professional development and therefore knowledge about SEL. In addition, inconsistent policies
result in uncertainty for teachers as to what they are ‘meant’ to do. The participants were unsure
of school wide expectations, making the high priority of SEL less likely, and they perceived that
irrelevant programs were in use.
Analysis of the professional development surrounding SEL at the school in question, the systemic
policies, the executive commitment and the relevance of SEL programs indicated tensions in the
activity system. If alleviated, they would serve to further to the goal of effective SEL implementation
by placing SEL higher on teachers’ lists of priorities. A recommendation for further study into the
provision of SEL in schools would be to examine the use and effectiveness of different teaching
strategies incorporating the development of social emotional skills.
The examination of these teachers’ experiences has illuminated which areas need support and in
turn offers strategies and resources to assist the whole school provision of SEL.Tue, 30 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160042016-08-30T00:00:00ZA semantic study of words for young person, servant and child in the Septuagint and other early Koine Greekhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16002
Title: A semantic study of words for young person, servant and child in the Septuagint and other early Koine Greek
Authors: Simpson, Graham McGregorThu, 01 Jan 1976 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160021976-01-01T00:00:00ZCancergazing? CA125 and post-treatment surveillance in advanced ovarian cancer.http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16001
Title: Cancergazing? CA125 and post-treatment surveillance in advanced ovarian cancer.
Authors: Jordens, C; Morrell, B; Harnett, P; Hobbs, K; Mason, C; Kerridge, I
Abstract: Post-treatment surveillance of advanced ovarian cancer involves regular testing of asymptomatic patients using the CA125 test. This practice is based on a rationale that is not supported by evidence from clinical trials. This paper aims to stimulate critical reflection concerning the effect of investigative tests on clinical decisions and interactions, and the experience of illness, particularly in the context of advanced malignant disease. Drawing on the idea of the “medical gaze”, and building on previous health communication research, we present an analysis of in-depth interviews and psychometric tests collected in a prospective study of 20 Australian women with advanced ovarian cancer conducted between 2006 and 2009. We describe the demands placed on patients by the use of the CA125 test, some hazards it creates for decision-making, and some of the test’s subjective benefits. It is widely believed that the CA125 test generates anxiety among patients, and the proposed solution is to educate women more about the test. We found no evidence that anxiety was a problem requiring a response over and above existing services. We conclude that the current debate is simplistic and limited. Focussing on patient anxiety does not account for other important effects of post-treatment surveillance, and educating patients about the test is unlikely to mitigate anxiety because testing is part of a wider process by which patients become aware of a disease that – once it has relapsed – will certainly kill them in the near future.Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160012010-01-01T00:00:00ZObesity and Vascular Healthhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/16000
Title: Obesity and Vascular Health
Authors: Ne, Jia Yi Anna
Abstract: Background: Obesity is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms by which obesity confers increased cardiovascular risk have not been fully elucidated but may involve arterial endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis among others. Studies examining the association of obesity with markers of atherosclerotic vascular disease have had mixed findings. Accordingly, we undertook two comprehensive systematic reviews of the published literature on obesity and vascular health, specifically one on obesity, brachial flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and fingertip plethysmography using the EndoPAT device and one on obesity and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). For vascular measures with sufficient studies (flow-mediated dilatation and carotid intima-media thickness), meta-analysis was undertaken to determine whether these two measures of vascular health differ between obese and healthy weight adults, and the estimated magnitude of the association.
Methods: Electronic searches for “Obesity and flow-mediated dilatation”, “Obesity and intima-media thickness” and “Obesity and fingertip plethysmography” were performed using Ovid Medline and Embase databases. Meta-analysis was undertaken for brachial flow-mediated dilatation and carotid intima-media thickness to obtain pooled estimates for the obese and healthy weight adults.
Results: Of the 4990 articles (1700 for FMD, 3122 for IMT and 168 for EndoPAT) retrieved, we identified 19 studies that met the study inclusion criteria for flow-mediated dilatation, 19 studies for intima-media thickness and 2 studies for EndoPAT. Meta-analysis demonstrated that obesity was associated with lower flow-mediated dilatation (-1.92 % [95% CI -2.92, -0.92], = 0.0002), and greater carotid intima-media thickness (0.07 mm [95% CI 0.05, 0.08], < 0.00001).
Conclusion: Obesity is associated with significant differences in both functional and structural measures of vascular health, suggesting a likely mechanistic pathway through which obesity affects risk of clinical cardiovascular disease.Mon, 20 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/160002016-06-20T00:00:00ZSynthesis of polymer nanocomposites via in-situ emulsion polymerization from functionalized nanomaterialshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15999
Title: Synthesis of polymer nanocomposites via in-situ emulsion polymerization from functionalized nanomaterials
Authors: Khan, Miftah Uddin
Abstract: Dual step process for nanomaterials functionalization was developed; the first step improved the dispersibility of the nanomaterial to assist improving efficiency of the second step, reaction with oleic acid in mild condition. The functionalization was efficient for CNT (carbon nanotubes) and silica, which assisted to utilize in-situ emulsion polymerization, not commonly reported though a versatile technique, to synthesize PS/CNT and PS/silica composites. Investigation revealed improvement of nanocomposites properties and potential for practical application. For the investigated properties, oleic acid functionalization showed superiority. The pH effect on raw CNT dispersion was found to improve the CNT dispersion, which was utilized to substitute the first step of the developed dual step approach of CNT functionalization. Organic acids, i.e., methacrylic acid and acrylic acid were investigated as functionalizing agents for CNT functionalization, and found effective via relevant investigation. Chain transfer agent (CTA) was introduced in nanocomposite syntheses with oleic acid functionalized CNT to investigate its effect, which reduced the molar mass. The major difference between the nanocomposites with or without CTA was the absence of free CNT for nanocomposites with CTA. This influenced the nanocomposites properties substantially. The electrical properties of PS/CNT nanocomposites with or without CTA were tested via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which were found altered at wide frequency range. The measurements and modeled electrical equivalent circuits (EEC) explained the structural orientation of the CNT in nanocomposites, which was in agreement with the microscopic images. Finally, polymer brush nanocomposites were synthesized via in-situ emulsion polymerization, not commonly reported for such synthesis. Oleic acid functionalized CNT were further modified via organo silane chemistry. The developed synthesis scheme was confirmed via identification of the functional groups and polymer attachment on CNT surface. Synthesized polymer brush nanocomposites displayed enhanced thermal and gas adsorption property.Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159992016-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Effect of Interpenetrating Network on the Physico-Chemical Properties of Polymer-Bioactive Glass Hybrid Monolith for Bone Tissue Regenerationhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15998
Title: The Effect of Interpenetrating Network on the Physico-Chemical Properties of Polymer-Bioactive Glass Hybrid Monolith for Bone Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Ansari, Sonia
Abstract: The organic-inorganic hybrid is a favourable material for bone tissue engineering. However, the brittleness and rapid degradation of these monoliths restrict their application for engineering, soft tissues and their interfaces with bone. The aim of this project was to address the issue of brittleness and phase separation by introducing an interpenetrating network between the polymer and bioactive glass.
In this study, the physicochemical properties and mechanical strength of these hybrid monoliths were tuned by incorporating a cross linking agent poly (ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGda). The results of molecular scale analysis demonstrated that at an optimum condition of 40:60 (v/v %) polymer: bioactive glass, an interpenetrating network between poly (lactide ethylene oxide fumarate) (PLEOF) and bioactive glass during the sol-gel process, resulted in the fabrication of a hybrid monolith.
The feasibility of fabricating a PLEOF-Bioactive glass hybrid monolith with improved mechanical properties was also investigated by increasing the concentration of polymer in the hybrid structure. We observed ten-fold decrease in the compressive modulus of hybrid monolith compare to pure bioactive glass, which is favourable for bone tissue application. In addition to remarkable enhancement in the mechanical properties of PLEOF-Bioactive glass hybrid, their structural integrity was significantly increased. These hybrid monoliths kept their structure for more than 28 days in simulated body fluid. In addition, these hybrid monoliths tend to reduce the rapid degradation of their structure compared to a physical mixture. As a result of prolonged release of silica, which is favourable for stronger interaction with the host tissue, a thicker apatite was obtained for improved bone formation. The presence of homogeneous distribution of bioactive glass in the hybrid monolith helps to promote the precipitation of calcium and phosphate particles, which are the main inorganic composites of the bone extracellular matrix.
In conclusion, an organic-inorganic hybrid was developed that significantly improved the physico-chemical properties of the composite via promoting the homogeneous distribution of phases. Also it has higher mechanical strength compared to ceramic based scaffolds. This hybrid shows biocompatibility under simulated body fluid. This polymer-bioactive glass hybrid monolith is suitable for bone regeneration and tissue engineering.
KEYWORDS: Organic-inorganic hybrid, bioactive glass, PLEOF, bioactivity, tissue engineering, bone regeneration, sol-gel, biomaterial, mechanical properties, degradation behaviour.Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159982016-12-01T00:00:00ZCharacterisation and Novel Treatment of Several Causes of Mortality in Critical Illnesshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15997
Title: Characterisation and Novel Treatment of Several Causes of Mortality in Critical Illness
Authors: Reade, Michael Charles
Abstract: Three critical care syndromes form the main foci of this thesis: sepsis; delirium; and severe trauma. Research methods used to investigate the pathogenesis and novel treatments of these syndromes include clinical trials, observational studies, and preclinical models. In several instances, a complete research programme is presented. For example:
• in the investigation of delirium, in which observational studies and empirical assessments of clinical measurement tools led to a pilot study and then the definitive 15-hospital clinical trial (Dexmedetomidine to Lessen ICU Agitation: DahLIA) comparing dexmedetomidine to placebo as a treatment for this condition; and
• in the assessment of a haemodynamic protocol-guided treatment algorithm for septic shock, in which practice surveys and reviews of trial methodologies preceded three harmonised international clinical trials subsequently subjected to definitive meta-analysis.
Other research programmes that are still in progress are also presented. For example:
• the Cryopreserved vs. Liquid Platelets (CLIP) trial;
• a programme that has developed a novel preclinical model of acute traumatic coagulopathy, in parallel with clinical trials of resuscitation in trauma such as the 1400-patient Pre-hospital Anti-fibrinolytics for Traumatic Coagulopathy and Haemorrhage (PATCH) trial; and
• a research programme testing a protocolised approach to sedation, including the 4000-patient definitive Sedation Practice in Intensive Care Evaluation (SPICE) trial.
A substantial part of this thesis includes collaborative applications of trial and observational methodologies to other critical care topics, including advanced-care planning, nutrition, oxygen delivery, lactate concentration, anaemia, coagulopathy, and the effects of gender and race. Research methodology is constantly evolving, and contributions to this process are outlined along with examples of research translation into practice through both policy and education.Thu, 29 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159972016-09-29T00:00:00ZStructure elucidation and biological investigation of novel serrulatane diterpenes from a propolis type sourced from Kangaroo Islandhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15996
Title: Structure elucidation and biological investigation of novel serrulatane diterpenes from a propolis type sourced from Kangaroo Island
Authors: Aminimoghadamfarouj, Noushin
Abstract: Kangaroo Island, South Australia, is known for its unique flora and its rich supply of honey bee propolis. Propolis, the resinous bee hive product, has largely been used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, due to its interesting biologically active constituents and traditionally recognized medicinal properties. In this study, a propolis type was selected from more than a thousand propolis samples collected from various locations of Kangaroo Island that had been analyzed and categorized through chromatographic and NMR techniques. From the propolis type categorized as “purple spot”, serrulatane diterpenoids were isolated which led to identification of the plant source as Myoporum insulare R. Br. Several compounds were isolated and their structures were elucidated by NMR and high resolution ESI mass spectroscopy techniques. Serrulatane diterpenes characterized include 2 novel (7,8,18-trihydroxyserrulat-14-ene, 5,18-epoxy-8-hydroxyserrulat-14-ene) and 3 known (5,18-epoxyserrulat-14-en-8,18-diol, 7,8-dihydroxyserrulat-14-ene, serrulat-14-en-5,8-dione) compounds, acetylated derivatives of the 2 major serrulatane diterpenes and an oxidized product from the main novel serrulatane diterpene. Other known compounds characterized were a sesquiterpene, 4-hydroxy-10,11-didehydro-4,8-dihydromyodesmone, and a flavonoid, 4΄,7-dimethoxy-5-hydroxyflavonone. In-vitro pharmacological assays plus epigenetic enzymes inhibition and cell based assays and also cell viability proliferation screens of four of the studied compounds and Myoporum insulare resin were done. The promising results exhibited antihistamine, anti-lipoxygenase, anti-monoamine oxidase properties. Significant inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB was noticed for compound (1) (IC50 ≈ 1.36 μM). Based on our research, Kangaroo Island’s unique propolis and intact botanical flora have exceptional chemical structure diversity with promising biological and pharmacological properties much of which is yet to be discovered.Mon, 19 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159962016-09-19T00:00:00ZBreathing in art, breathing out poetry: Contemporary Australian art and artists as a source of inspiration for a collection of ekphrastic poems.http://hdl.handle.net/2123/15995
Title: Breathing in art, breathing out poetry: Contemporary Australian art and artists as a source of inspiration for a collection of ekphrastic poems.
Authors: Shiel, Erin Patricia
Abstract: During the course of this Master of Arts (Research) program, I have written The Spirits of Birds, a collection of thirty-five ekphrastic poems relating to contemporary Australian art. The exegesis relating to this poetry collection is the result of my research and reflection on the process of writing these poems. At the outset, my writing responded to artworks viewed in galleries, in books and online. Following the initial writing period, I approached a number of artists and asked if I could interview them about their sources of inspiration and creative processes. Six artists agreed to be interviewed. The transcripts of these interviews were used in the writing of further poetry. The interviews also provided an insight into the creative processes of artists and how this might relate to the writing of poetry.
The exegesis explores this process of writing. It also examines the nature of ekphrasis, how this has changed historically and the type of ekphrastic poetry I have written in the poetry collection. In analysing the poems and how they related to the artworks and artists, I found there were four ways in which I was responding to the artworks: connecting to a symbolic device in the artwork, exploring the inspiration or creative process of the artist, drawing out a life experience or imagined narrative through the artwork and echoing the visual appearance of the artwork in the form of the poem. My exegesis considers these different forms and draws some links between the creative processes of the artists interviewed and the writing of poetry.Tue, 01 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159952016-03-01T00:00:00ZClinical and Genetic Studies in Inherited Arrhythmia Syndromeshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15994
Title: Clinical and Genetic Studies in Inherited Arrhythmia Syndromes
Authors: Gray, Belinda Ruth
Abstract: Inherited arrhythmia syndromes, or “ion channelopathies”, is a term encompassing a number of different diseases including long QT syndrome (LQTS), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), Brugada syndrome (BrS), short QT syndrome (SQTS) and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF). In inherited arrhythmia syndromes, ventricular arrhythmias originate due to abnormalities with intracellular ion channels, predominantly involving potassium, sodium and calcium handling, due to genetic mutations in genes encoding for channel proteins. The cellular abnormalities in these conditions are typically associated with a structurally normal heart with no evidence of disease macroscopically and the autopsy in the deceased is typically negative. Inherited arrhythmia syndromes are an important cause for sudden cardiac death in the young.
There is increasing evidence of genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity amongst inherited arrhythmia syndromes. The yield for genetic testing in inherited arrhythmia syndromes remains at most 60-75% despite significant advances in technology. New genetic testing modalities will provide a significant improvement in the efficacy of genetic testing amongst individuals and families with inherited arrhythmia syndromes. Inherited arrhythmia syndromes can lead to serious cardiac complications including sudden cardiac death. It is possible that there are unidentified clinical, genetic or environmental factors which could predispose patients to higher risk of arrhythmia, including widely available caffeinated energy drinks.
The work of this PhD thesis highlights the three critical domains of genetics, risk stratification and triggers for arrhythmia when assessing and managing inherited arrhythmia syndromes. There are a number of unique and important aspects when managing patients and families with inherited arrhythmia syndromes. This includes genetic evaluation, diagnosis, risk stratification, and identification of triggers. The research in this PhD thesis directly addresses a number of these issues and has translational clinical implications for patients and families with inherited arrhythmia syndromes. The ultimate goal of this research is improving assessment and management of these patients and families and prevention of sudden cardiac death.Thu, 22 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159942016-09-22T00:00:00ZThemparks: Alternative Play in Contemporary Australian Poetryhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15993
Title: Themparks: Alternative Play in Contemporary Australian Poetry
Authors: Fitch, Toby Patrick Brian
Abstract: Themparks is a creative and critical thesis consisting of a book of poems—The Bloomin’ Notions of Other & Beau—and two experimental essays that illuminate the praxis behind the book of poems, not by auto-critique, but via a study of other contemporary Australian poets whose poetry involves similar compositional approaches. The Bloomin’ Notions of Other & Beau hijacks the prose poems of Arthur Rimbaud’s famously incomplete manuscript Illuminations and re-verses their content—a “Down Under conceit”—to create “inversions”, radically new poems that are ludic and multiple in form, that complicate authorial subjectivity by employing various methods of (mis)translation and appropriation, and whose subject matter reflects and refracts political and personal fragmentation in twenty-first century Australia. “Themparks”, the first critical essay, is a divagation into thempark by contemporary Australian poet Michael Farrell, the poems of which transpose/depose the structures of poems by John Ashbery; “Themparks” also analyses John Ashbery’s translations of the Illuminations of Arthur Rimbaud via a re-reading of Rimbaud’s famous formulation, “I is an other” (Je est an autre). “Aussi/Or”, the second critical essay, is a disquisition on Stéphane Mallarmé’s late innovative poem Un Coup de dés and its various antipodean versions and (mis)translations written by Christopher Brennan (in 1897), Chris Edwards and John Tranter (both in 2006). Both essays/assays explore the (anti)genre of poetic rewritings of previous poems; both trace certain homosocial poetic lineages from self-consciously “experimental” contemporary Australian poets back through American and Australian postmodernists to early modernist French poets; both raise/raze issues of translation, appropriation, plagiarism, and reproduction while employing—metonymically—some parallel theoretical tropes from psychoanalysis, linguistics, philosophy, and science. The guiding thread—the fil conducteur latent in Mallarmé—between the creative and critical components of this thesis is a poetics of the pun. The pun’s promiscuity highlights the highly libinal nature of language-tampering while working to both associate and dissociate parataxis and parapraxis.Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159932015-10-01T00:00:00ZWhat’s in a Symbol? Emerging Parties and Anti-Corruption Symbols in Indonesia’s 2014 National Legislative Election Campaignshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15992
Title: What’s in a Symbol? Emerging Parties and Anti-Corruption Symbols in Indonesia’s 2014 National Legislative Election Campaigns
Authors: Kramer, Elisabeth Anne
Abstract: This thesis explores the use of anti-corruption symbols during Indonesia’s 2014 legislative elections from a national party and individual candidate perspective. Anti-corruption has long been a political issue in Indonesia, and the entrenched nature of associated rhetoric facilitates the ongoing emphasis on anti-corruption symbols. However, recent history and the perceived misuse of such symbols by some political parties meant that mobilizing them carried risks in 2014. This study addresses two key empirical questions: why were anti-corruption symbols adopted by emerging parties and their candidates, and how were these symbols used? Examining these questions allows us to consider a broader paradox in Indonesia; that while anti-corruption rhetoric is prominent, so too is corruption—including money politics and vote-buying during political campaigns.
Theoretically, the thesis speaks to the literature on electoral campaigns and the diffusion of ideas across scales, drawing on Edelman’s conceptualization of political symbols as signifiers of morality and aspiration that are ultimately intended to sway audiences in order to gain power. The application of Edelman’s theory of symbolic politics to the Indonesian case provides an opportunity to extend theoretical discussions of the use of symbols as tools of persuasion during elections. The incorporation of diffusion theory to interpret the parameters and constraints of campaigning represents an original approach to the study of electoral campaigns, not just in Indonesia but more widely. The combination of these theoretical frameworks presents an innovative way of understanding enduring questions regarding coexisting, yet contradictory, political phenomena in Indonesia.
Focusing on case studies from three different emerging parties, this thesis finds that the employment of anti-corruption symbols varied considerably between the national level and the candidates, even if the symbols adopted were ostensibly the same. Parties’ executive committees embraced anti-corruption symbols because they believed voters would respond favourably to them, in spite of the inherent hazards involved. However, candidates exercise great autonomy in the construction of their personal campaigns, and could choose to adopt or ignore their party’s anti-corruption symbol. In the cases examined here, the extent to which the symbol was adopted depended heavily on a candidate’s personal history, through which personal ‘ownership’ of the issue was established. The nature of intra-party relations and traditional campaign techniques in Indonesia reinforced these intrinsically different campaign arenas, often referred to colloquially as the ‘air campaign’ (national level) and ‘ground campaign’ (candidate level). Given the different audiences and interactions with voters in each arena, there was scope for discrepancy even though national party committees and individual candidates essentially shared the same goal of wanting to maximize votes.
The thesis argues that the disconnect that exists between the anti-corruption symbol constructed in national campaigns and local practice is inherently linked to the simultaneous prominence of anti-corruption rhetoric and money politics in campaigns. At the same time that parties compete to be seen as the ‘cleanest’, individual candidates are pressured to buy votes, knowing that it may be their best chance for success. The inconsistency in the presentation of anti-corruption symbols leads voters to believe that the issue is being manipulated for political purposes rather than reflecting a genuine desire to combat corruption, compromising its persuasive value. The incongruity between what happens in different campaign arenas not only demonstrates the fragmented nature of political parties, but also confirms that the values and decisions of candidates play a crucial role in the perpetuation of money politics. This finding challenges the normative assumption that political parties are single, coherent entities and advances a new way of understanding the relationships between anti-corruption rhetoric and election campaign outcomes for Indonesia’s emerging parties.Wed, 25 Mar 2015 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159922015-03-25T00:00:00ZBecoming a Composer: How postgraduate conservatorium students develop their musical identitieshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15991
Title: Becoming a Composer: How postgraduate conservatorium students develop their musical identities
Authors: Hoffman, Sophie
Abstract: Musical identities research demonstrates the many roles that music plays in our everyday lives. For musicians, music is more than just a tool for self-discovery; it is a way of life, built over years of support, participation and love. The musical identities of performers have been explored in detail while composers’ identities have been explored predominantly through their compositions. The aim of this study is to investigate how composers establish and develop compositional identity. Five postgraduate composition students at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music participated in semi-structured interviews about their musical backgrounds, experiences and interests. Five main themes emerged as central to composer identity formation: ‘The Power of Music’, ‘Motivation to Compose’, ‘Influential Relationships’, ‘Environmental Factors’ and ‘Compositional Community’. Music was essential to the composers’ self-concepts. They were compelled to compose. They were determined to prove their worth through their music. And, they recognised the influence of their communities on their musical choices. These composers shared an understanding of the creation and continual development of their compositional identities through an alignment of these elements.Thu, 30 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159912016-06-30T00:00:00ZThermal – Control Synthesis of Manganese Oxides and Their Oxidation Propertyhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15990
Title: Thermal – Control Synthesis of Manganese Oxides and Their Oxidation Property
Authors: Fei, Jingyuan
Abstract: Liquid phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol is an important reaction for providing benzaldehyde and benzoic acid, as both products are largely required in perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. Current producing systems suffer from either low conversion or over oxidation of the aldehyde to carboxylic acid. From the viewpoint of economy efficiency and environmental demand, this thesis aims to develop new high-performance and cost-effective catalysts that can allow green aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation under mild conditions. In this thesis, the catalytic oxidation performances of manganese oxide nanoparticles synthesised from thermally controlled calcination of a Mn-containing precursor have been investigated. The impact of precursor composition and calcination temperature on the physio chemical properties of the resulting nanoparticles were assessed by X-ray diffraction patterns, N2 physisorption analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the crystallinity of the resulting manganese nanoparticles will be gradually improved upon increasing the calcination temperature, however, the specific surface area will decrease due to porous structure damage at higher calcination temperature. Obvious correlation between chemoselective aerobic oxidation performances of benzyl alcohol over the nanoparticles and the calcination temperature has been observed and a calcination temperature of 600 °C has been identified as the optimal especially the one without dopamine. Moreover, the influence of different manganese ratios in the precursor sols was also investigated, which was found has minor impact on the catalytic performance.Wed, 30 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159902016-11-30T00:00:00ZFamily Impact: Chinese-background students in NSW selective high schoolshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15989
Title: Family Impact: Chinese-background students in NSW selective high schools
Authors: Zhang, Xue Feng
Abstract: NSW schooling is characterised by choice and competition and has a large number of
academically selective public high schools, most of which are located in the Sydney
metropolitan area. It has been widely noted that Chinese background students in NSW are
over-represented in the state’s publically funded selective high schools—schools that
cater for academically high achieving students. This over-representation has attracted
attention in the broader community and raised the interest of educational authorities and
researchers who want to identify the underlying factors contributing to this phenomenon.
To investigate Chinese-background students’ high academic achievements from a family
perspective, a sociocultural and ecological systems theory approach was adopted; placing
the interactions between 14 Year 7 and Year 8 Chinese-background students (aged 12 to
14) attending selective high schools, their first generation parents and the family
environment at the centre of the study’s focus. Opportunity sampling (Mukherji & Albon,
2010: 197) was employed to recruit participants matching desired criteria from two
community-run Saturday Chinese language schools located in the Sydney metropolitan
area. A qualitative approach involving semi-structured in-depth interviews was adopted
as the main data collection method.
Deductive analysis processes involving a comparison of data from the students with those
of their parents and other siblings, revealed that, while a combination of socio-cultural
factors contributed to the Chinese-background students’ academic achievements, certain
family-related factors were most influential. Such factors not only reflected traditional
Chinese beliefs surrounding the value of education, but included a heightened sense of
obligation for academic achievement on the part of the students. This heightened sense of
obligation stemmed from the recognition that parents had undergone hardships, often
sacrificing their own professional careers in the belief that it would ensure the academic
and future career successes of their children. Additionally, parenting practices were
characterized by involvement in children’s education from an early age and the provision
of opportunities for multiple extra-curricular learning, including academic subjects, arts
and sports. The study found that many of the strategies adopted by the Chinese migrant
families to support their children at school originated from their determination to
acculturate into Australian society.
A key finding of the study is that while NSW selective schools are founded on beliefs
about academic ‘giftedness’, these first generation Chinese background parents and
children do not agree with the western definition of individual ‘lucky’ giftedness. Instead,
they see NSW selective schools as places that can be accessed by ‘hard’ work and will be
conducive to on-going ‘hard’ work, academic competition and achievement. Importantly,
this ‘hard’ work is a whole-family project, and does not just rely on the individual child’s
gifts or motivation. The families in this study also made a strategic assessment about the
undesirable peer groups that they believe are likely to hinder progress in either the elite
private schools or the local public schools.
Findings hold implications for educational authorities regarding the important synergies
between family- and school-life. They also challenge popular myths surrounding
Chinese-background students’ inherent capacities for academic success and emphasise
the potential role families can play in the academic achievement of all children.Wed, 30 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159892016-11-30T00:00:00ZAmeliorating the Adverse Effects of Powerlessness: An Investigation of the Benefits of Brief Mindfulness Practicehttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15988
Title: Ameliorating the Adverse Effects of Powerlessness: An Investigation of the Benefits of Brief Mindfulness Practice
Authors: Baijan, Genevieve
Abstract: The experience of powerlessness is associated with a host of maladaptive cognitive, affective, and behavioural outcomes that present significant challenges to the individual's well-being (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993; Smith, Jostmann, Galinsky, & van Dijk, 2008). However, little research has explored how to ameliorate these deleterious effects. The current research program investigated the utility of mindfulness as a strategic response to states of powerlessness. A series of four experiments tested its expected benefits in multiple domains. Study 1 demonstrated that a short mindfulness exercise attenuated the rise in negative affect associated with powerlessness, and likewise enhanced positive affect. However, an unexpected finding emerged in Study 2. While mindfulness improved executive functioning in powerless participants, it impaired performance in the comparison group, degrading their ability to inhibit competing responses. In line with learned helplessness theory (Maier & Seligman, 1976), Study 3 investigated whether mindfulness could offset biased appraisals of situational control occasioned by powerlessness, but failed to find evidence for its hypothesised salutary effects. Interestingly, Study 4 showed that for powerless participants, mindfulness promoted goal-congruent action-taking and minimised the belief that future situations would engender further powerlessness. Consistent with Study 2, however, it had the reverse effect on the comparison group. Instead of promoting action, mindfulness fostered passivity in the face of achievable goals and promoted a belief in future powerlessness. Taken together, findings from these studies provide initial evidence that the benefits of brief mindfulness practice are context-dependent. When used to offset the adverse effects of psychological states of powerlessness, mindfulness was beneficial. However, when used under neutral eliciting conditions, it led to unexpected deficits that undermined cognitive functioning and behavioural regulation. The present findings raise questions about the indiscriminate use of short mindfulness practice and suggest boundary conditions that determine its adaptive application.Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159882016-07-26T00:00:00ZAsian-Australian hyphenated identification: Self and other perceptions and their implications for intergroup relationshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15987
Title: Asian-Australian hyphenated identification: Self and other perceptions and their implications for intergroup relations
Authors: Chu, Eileen
Abstract: Some minorities identify as bicultural seeing both their ethnic and national cultural identities as important to their self-concept. Importantly, recent research and theory is suggesting that a bicultural identity is not always captured by these existing identity categories. Alternatively, some minorities identify with an additional hyphenated identity (e.g., Chinese-Australian). This identity, however, may not always be acknowledged by majority individuals. This thesis explores ways in which such misrecognitions can be addressed within Australian society by i) exploring the relevance of hyphenated identification amongst Asian-Australians; ii) evaluating the extent to which other's acknowledgement of Asian-Australians’ hyphenated identity has a positive impact on the self and on outgroup attitudes towards majority Anglo-Australians; and iii) how attitudes regarding the representation of Australian national identity can be changed to become more inclusive of minorities’ identities through adopting dual-identity representations of Australian national identity. Five studies were designed to address these aims. In conclusion, the thesis found evidence to support the relevance of hyphenated identities for minority Asian-Australians’ sense of self as well as preliminary evidence to suggest that others' recognition of Asian-Australians' hyphenated identities, may be important for perceived acceptance from others. Social-cultural factors within Australian society, however, may act as barriers against the recognition of hyphenated identities. This thesis contributes to research in acculturation, biculturalism, and intergroup relations by underscoring the importance of more holistic intervention approaches, which include minorities' perceptions of self and perspectives during intergroup interactions. Thus, these findings will have practical implications for improving the quality of group relations in an ever increasing multicultural Australian society.Tue, 26 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159872016-07-26T00:00:00ZBeyond the Femina fantasy: female industrial and overseas domestic labour in Indonesian discourses of women's workhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15986
Title: Beyond the Femina fantasy: female industrial and overseas domestic labour in Indonesian discourses of women's work
Authors: Ford, Michele
Abstract: In the late 1990s, scholarly attention turned to glossy publications such as Femina, the premier Indonesian women's magazine, for insights into what it means to be a woman in Indonesia. When Brenner analysed the visual and verbal images of the 'many incarnations' of the modern Indonesian woman, she found that, in addition to being a 'happy consumer-housewife, devoted follower of Islam '" model citizen of the nation-state and alluring sex symbol', the modern Indonesian woman is a wanita kaner, working as a business executive, secretary, lawyer or civil servant (Brenner 1999, 17-24). Sen, too, has noted the increasing dominance of images of professional, working women in 'official and commercial texts emanating from metropolitan Jakarta' (Sen 1998, 35). Unlike Brenner, however, who argues that the Sum of representations of women in these middle-class texts 'offer[s] a bewildering array of lifestyle possibilities' (Brenner 1999, 17), Sen privileges images of the working woman - asserting not only that 'working woman' has replaced 'housewife' as the 'new paradigmatic female subject in political, cultural and economic discourses in Indonesia', but that the new 'iconic figure' of the 'working woman' is a professional who legitimises Indonesia's position as a modern nation, not a working-class woman labouring on the factory floor (Sen 1998, 35).Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159862003-01-01T00:00:00ZKynurenine Aminotransferases as Novel Targets in Neurodegenerative and Cognitive Disorders using Rational Drug Discoveryhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15985
Title: Kynurenine Aminotransferases as Novel Targets in Neurodegenerative and Cognitive Disorders using Rational Drug Discovery
Authors: Nematollahi, Alireza
Abstract: This dissertation is premised on observations that kynurenine aminotransferase (KAT) isozymes play a role in neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders and has considered the probable mechanisms of action of inhibitors. This thesis used rational drug discovery in the design of novel reversible human KAT-2 inhibitors. This work is presented in publication format with six chapters. Chapter 1 includes two published papers of which the first article is about the evolution of antipsychotic drugs used in the clinic to overcome both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia with an emphasis on the main pharmacophore features of these drugs, and the second article is a review of KATs and their existing inhibitors. Chapter 2 presents the structural features of KAT-3 with observations on its inhibition using molecular modeling and computational studies. Chapter 3 investigates the expression, purification and crystallization of human KAT-2. Chapter 4 considers the crystal structure of human KAT-2 and properties of the active site of this enzyme, which relates to the mechanism of action of the KAT isozymes. Chapter 5 presents the design and synthesis of a novel reversible inhibitor of human KAT-2, a promising lead as assessed by an HPLC-based bioassay, as well as a study of the binding affinity by the surface plasmon resonance technique to probe further its probable mechanism of action. The final chapter, Chapter 6, summarizes the results of this research with suggestions for possible future research directions.Fri, 05 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159852016-08-05T00:00:00ZIndonesian Women as Export Commodity: Notes from Tanjung Pinanghttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15984
Title: Indonesian Women as Export Commodity: Notes from Tanjung Pinang
Authors: Ford, Michele
Abstract: In Indonesia, the plight of TKW (Tenaga Kerja Wanita - the common term for women migrant workers) has been a subject of public controversy for decades. Academic accounts of the conditions of Indonesian migrant domestic workers tend to resonate with local public perceptions. Authors such as Bethan (1993) and Robinson (2000a, 2000b) and Krisnawaty (1997) focus predominantly on the threats and privations facing women working abroad as domestic help - in Saudi Arabia in particular - and the shortcomings of official labour migration agencies. Yet, while conditions in receiving countries and the experiences of women in the barracks of registered labour export companies in Jakarta are the subject of many books and articles, the conditions experienced by women recruited by illegal agents are relatively little researched. While in Tanjung Pinang recently I conducted interviews with an illegal migration agent, his wife, and five women currently awaiting positions in Malaysia. The results of those interviews are the subject of this research note.Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159842001-01-01T00:00:00ZManfaat Pendekatan Sejarah dalam Studi Hubungan Industrial dan Gerakan Buruh Kontemporerhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15983
Title: Manfaat Pendekatan Sejarah dalam Studi Hubungan Industrial dan Gerakan Buruh Kontemporer
Authors: Ford, Michele
Abstract: Dalam konteks studi kontemporer, pendekatan sejarah bukan berarti memusatkan
perhatian pada masa lalu, melainkan mengembangkan sikap kritis terhadap sejarah
perburuhan dan dampaknya pada perkembangan masa kini. Di Indonesia, dengan
perubahan peta hubungan industrial yang dimulai pada masa kepresidenan Habibie,
sudah saatnya hubungan industrial dan institusi gerakan buruh kontemporer dikaji secara
lebih serius dengan memakai pendekatan sejarah yang tidak hanya deskriptif, tetapi juga
analitis.Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159832002-01-01T00:00:00ZWomen's Labor Activism in Indonesiahttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15982
Title: Women's Labor Activism in Indonesia
Authors: Ford, Michele
Abstract: In her discussion of working‐class women’s labor activism in Thailand, Mary Beth Mills argues that an understanding of the “diverse ideological effects, structural constraints, and contested identities within women’s labor struggles requires close attention to participants’ own gendered and place‐based politics” (2005, 140). In the Indonesian context, geography and life experience are indeed important, but class remains a major determinant of women’s approaches to gender politics within the labor sphere. Labor became a strong focus for middle‐class feminists in Indonesia in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when women’s groups began to organize campaigns around issues concerning female industrial workers and international labor migrants (Ford 2002). More recently, however, there has been a dramatic increase in women workers’ activism on their own behalf. This new wave of activism presents a dilemma for feminists because it is not always framed in feminist terms. In contrast to middle‐class feminist activists in nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), who regard female factory and migrant laborers as women first and then as workers, many union women believe the international feminist agenda is secondary, or even irrelevant, to their struggles for better conditions at work.Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159822008-01-01T00:00:00ZGalactic Colonisation: General Relativistic Interstellar Trajectory Optimisationhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15981
Title: Galactic Colonisation: General Relativistic Interstellar Trajectory Optimisation
Authors: Fung, Kenneth Ka Ho
Abstract: A vast wealth of literature exists on the topic of rocket trajectory optimisation, particularly in the area of interplanetary trajectories due to its relevance today. However, a large proportion of the research is focused on using a specific propulsion system, and is almost exclusively conducted using Newtonian mechanics. Studies on optimising interstellar and intergalactic trajectories are usually performed in flat spacetime using an analytical approach, with very little focus on optimising interstellar trajectories in a general relativistic framework.
This thesis examines the use of low-acceleration rockets to reach galactic destinations in the least possible time, with a genetic algorithm being employed for the optimisation process. The fuel required for each journey was calculated for various types of propulsion systems to determine the viability of low-acceleration rockets to colonise the Milky Way.
To limit the amount of fuel carried on board, it was found that an antimatter propulsion system would likely be the minimum technological requirement to reach star systems tens of thousands of light years away. However, using a low-acceleration rocket would require several hundreds of thousands of years to reach these star systems, with minimal time dilation effects since maximum velocities only reached about 0.2c. Such transit times are clearly impractical, and it was concluded that low-acceleration rockets are not a viable candidate for galactic colonisation. High accelerations, on the order of 1g, are likely required to complete interstellar journeys within a reasonable time frame. To minimise fuel consumption, the propulsion system would likely need to be more advanced than an antimatter drive, though such a claim would require further research.Thu, 14 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159812016-07-14T00:00:00ZThe effect of calcium source and separate calcium feeding on the digestibility of calcium and phosphorus on poultry performance and skeletal healthhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15980
Title: The effect of calcium source and separate calcium feeding on the digestibility of calcium and phosphorus on poultry performance and skeletal health
Authors: Bradbury, Emma Jane
Abstract: Calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) are essential minerals for skeletal health and development and for many biological processes in poultry. However, the relationship between Ca and P is complex and multifactorial. Studies presented in this thesis investigated three aspects of the Ca and P relationship, in order to improve growth performance, mineral digestibility and maintain and/or improve skeletal health. The first strategy investigated replacing dietary limestone with a highly soluble calcium source on growth performance, mineral digestibility and skeletal health. The second strategy, investigated how broilers prioritise Ca and P, and which nutrient they are willing to over consume to meet an intake requirement and the effect on performance. The final strategy, investigated if modern poultry still possess a Ca specific appetite and how this can be exploited with separate Ca feeding on performance, skeletal health and egg production.
The results of this thesis provide useful and novel information for poultry nutritionists. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 demonstrated replacing limestone with a highly soluble Ca is possible, provided it is used a lower dietary Ca inclusions and in conjunction with phytase, without negatively effecting bird performance. Chapter 5 demonstrated although dietary nPP is more influential on performance metrics, when fed a diet grossly deficient in nPP broilers are unable or unwilling to increase their feed intake to satisfy their dietary nPP intake target. However, broilers will readily over consume dietary P to defend a dietary Ca intake target. The results of Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 demonstrate that modern poultry do possess a Ca specific appetite, however, it may not be uniformly expressed among birds. In conclusion, overall the research strategies presented in this thesis provide information that can be used to decrease Ca and phytate-P interactions, consequently improving nutrient digestibility and bird performance while decreasing diet costs.Thu, 31 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159802016-03-31T00:00:00ZWhere Internal and International Migration Intersect: Mobility and the Formation of Multi-Ethnic Communities in the Riau Islands Transit Zonehttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15979
Title: Where Internal and International Migration Intersect: Mobility and the Formation of Multi-Ethnic Communities in the Riau Islands Transit Zone
Authors: Lyons, Lenore; Ford, Michele
Abstract: While migration studies scholars have paid considerable attention to internal migration within Indonesia, as well as to international labour migration flows from Indonesia, they have rarely considered the
intersections between these two processes. This paper addresses the gap through a close analysis of migration flows in one of Indonesia’s key transit areas – the Riau Islands. We argue that in the borderlands
the processes of internal and international migration are mutually constitutive. The Riau Islands’ status as a transit zone for international labour migrants and as a destination for internal migrants determines its demographic profile and policies of migration control. Bordering practices are strongly influenced by the fact that not everyone who comes to the Riau Islands has the intention of moving on, and not all international migrants returning to the islands intend to go home. Our analysis demonstrates that internal migration
cannot be understood as a solely national phenomenon, and that international migration cannot only be explained by push and pull factors in sending and receiving destinations. These complexities
necessitate research and policy responses that take into account the unique character of the transit provinces, and the role that their geographical location plays in the formation of multi-ethnic
communities and the management of migration.Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159792007-01-01T00:00:00ZSensitivity Analysis for Future Grid Stability Studieshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15978
Title: Sensitivity Analysis for Future Grid Stability Studies
Authors: Garmroodi Doiran, Mehdi
Abstract: The increasing penetration of converter-interfaced generators (CIGs) has raised concerns about the stability and security of future grids (FGs). These resources affect power systems dynamics in many ways including reducing system inertia, interacting with existing generators, changing power flow paths, etc. In this thesis, we carry out a sensitivity study to explore the structural impacts from CIGs on the damping and frequency stability of power systems.
Initially, we study the impact of the intermittent power from wind turbine generators (WTGs) on the damping of the electromechanical oscillations in power systems. It will be shown that the inability of WTGs to provide synchronizing and damping torque to the system jeopardize the small signal stability of power systems. Stable operation regions, in terms of wind penetration and tie-line power, are derived and the impact of load flexibility on these regions are discussed. Next, we have studied the impact of the inertia distribution on the damping of the inter-area modes in power systems. It is shown that tie-line power has a significant role on the damping of the inter-area modes. Moreover, we show that dynamic voltage control and inertia emulation can be utilized to improve the damping of the system.
By developing an oscillatory recovery model for power system loads, we have also studied the impact of load oscillations on the damping of the inter-area modes. It is shown that the load dynamics can have a significant influence on the electromechanical oscillations of power systems. Finally, the frequency support capability of WTGs is investigated and the performance of different techniques in utilizing the kinetic energy of the WTGs to assist the frequency stability of power systems is evaluated. A novel time-variable droop characteristic is proposed to enhance the contribution of WTGs in supporting system frequency.Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159782016-01-01T00:00:00ZLesbian, Bisexual and Queer (LBQ) Women’s Tobacco Reduction Project Community Report Online Survey Findingshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15977
Title: Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer (LBQ) Women’s Tobacco Reduction Project Community Report Online Survey Findings
Authors: Mooney-Somers, Julie; Kolstee, Johann; Deacon, Rachel; Haidar, Samar; Moralee, Jain; Price, Karen
Description: Community report of research into lesbian, bisexual and queer women’s experiences of smoking. Research formed the basis of a smoking cessation social marketing campaign Smoke Free, Still Fierce http://www.acon.org.au/who-we-are-here-for/women/smoke-free-still-fierce-project/Tue, 29 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159772016-11-29T00:00:00ZPlace-­attachment in heritage theory and practice: a personal and ethnographic studyhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/15976
Title: Place-­attachment in heritage theory and practice: a personal and ethnographic study
Authors: Brown, Stephen Hepburn
Abstract: The thesis is a critical study of the concept of place-attachment in Australian heritage practice and its application in this field.
Place-attachment is typically characterised as a form of intangible heritage arising from interactions between people and place. I trace how this meaning borrows from concepts in psychology and geography and argue that the idea of place-attachment is often applied uncritically in heritage conservation because the field lacks a body of discipline-specific theory. It is my thesis that place-attachment can be conceptualised in a way that is more amenable to effective heritage management practice than is currently the case.
I construct a concept of place-attachment that draws on a notion of intra-action and theories of attachment, agency and affect. I define place-attachment as a distributed phenomenon that emerges through the entanglements of individuals or groups, places and things. This meaning is interrogated via four case studies – each centred on a home and garden (including my own) and Anglo-Australians – by applying a methodology that is primarily self-referential and auto-ethnographic. Topics that emerge from the field data, including life stages (i.e., childhood-adulthood attachment), generational transfer, and experiential understanding or empathy, are examined and shown to offer support for a concept of place-attachment as entanglement.
The thesis findings have implications for heritage practice. A framework of entanglement over interaction calls for recognition of intra-active assemblages in preference to intangible meanings; dynamism and multi-temporality over stasis and a distant past; the power of personal heritage alongside authorised, collective forms; and situated, relational ethics together with place-centred values.Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/159762014-08-28T00:00:00Z